1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a friction resistance generator which is used as a mechanism for applying an arbitrary resistance by a frictional force to a rotational motion of various machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, bearings are well known as one type of machine element. The bearings are largely classified into a sliding bearing which supports a movable member via a lubricating oil, and a rolling bearing which supports the movable member via a ball and a roller. These bearings are used for always smoothly moving the movable member, and their object is to reduce frictional resistance between members. Therefore, conventional bearings are not structured so as to control the power transferred between moving members by applying a resistance to moving members. Accordingly, when it is desired in order to restrict a kinetic velocity of the movable member to a prescribed velocity, a damping device such as a shock absorber and a damper needs to be separately added.
By the way, in the sliding bearing using a lubricating oil, if the lubricating oil is interposed between members in an ideal state, the frictional resistance can be extremely reduced. However, an oil film between two surfaces mutually sliding is lost in a low velocity state and in a high load state. As a result, a static friction and a kinetic friction intermittently act, and then, a frictional force becomes extremely unstable. For this reason, there is a problem that a so-called stick slip phenomenon can often occur.
Taking the aforesaid problem into consideration, the applicant has proposed a friction resistance generator disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2801153, which can restrict a kinetic velocity to a prescribed velocity without adding a specific mechanism, and always generates a stable resistance so as to readily control the resistance.
In the friction resistance generator, a plurality of rollers are interposed between a rotor and a passive member which are arranged facing each other in a radial direction, and a rolling axis of each roller is inclined so as to make a prescribed angle with respect to a plane including a rotational axis of the rotor. By doing so, a load of an axial direction is applied to the rotor and the passive member, and then, when the rotor and the passive member is rotated while contacting with each roller, a sliding friction is generated while each roller is rolling, and thus, an arbitrary frictional resistance is generated with respect to a rotational motion of the rotor.